The traditional image of a Medieval leper is a familiar one. Tainted by spiritual pollution, they were outcasts shunned by society. Yet excavations on the site of St Mary Magdalen leper hospital in Winchester are revealing a different picture. Here the afflicted were cared for in substantial structures, before being laid to rest in a… [Continue Reading]
CA 266
April 2, 2012 By Filed Under: Issues
Medieval St Paul’s would have been a striking sight. Its central tower and spire, completed around 1220, rose to a height of over 400 ft, making it the tallest steeple in Europe. But it was not to last. In June 1561 a lightning strike brought down the spire, and just over a century later the… [Continue Reading]
CA 265
March 1, 2012 By Filed Under: Issues
RMS Titanic is more than just a wrecked liner. The human toll of her loss is well known, with some 1,500 of the 2,200 on board perishing in the early hours of 15th April 1912. Yet ever since her resting place was located in 1985, Titanic has been at the forefront of questions about the… [Continue Reading]
CA 264
February is the bicentenary of Dickens’ birth. Revered for his vivid descriptions of Victorian London, he is also applauded for drawing attention to the plight of the poorest in society. One of the slums he visited was Jacob’sIsland, which became the backdrop to the thrilling dénouement of Oliver Twist. Yet while the level of… [Continue Reading]
CA 263
January 11, 2012 By Filed Under: Issues
In December I was fortunate enough to stand on the Nene riverbank in 1300 BC. Beside me were the stumps of prehistoric willow trees. Beneath me was a channel choked with the detritus of Bronze Age river life. Perfectly preserved eel traps, fish weirs and boats – six of them – still lay where they… [Continue Reading]
CA 262
December 8, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
The most exciting thing about archaeology is the way fresh discoveries can overturn established theories in the blink of an eye. Witnessing how a new consensus emerges from these is also thrilling, and the sight of scholars with opposing views scoring and conceding points is a conference staple. Ultimately this debate forges our perceptions of the past. This issue we… [Continue Reading]
CA 261
November 4, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
Cave archaeology has a long pedigree. Romantic images of our earliest ancestors sheltering in caverns led to many being stripped of their stratigraphy in the 19th century – when recording techniques were still in their infancy. New work has revealed remains that escaped antiquarian attention, shedding light on a once-vibrant world under the uplands. Research in Oakington, Cambridgeshire, is… [Continue Reading]
CA 260
October 7, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
Rome changed Britain. New roads opened up this country as never before, creating a captive market – weary travellers. Settlements seeking to part them from their sestertii sprung up rapidly, but they are rarely excavated. Now work at Syon Park has revealed life in one of Britain’s first service stations. When Conan Doyle loosed his spectral hound on Dartmoor, he… [Continue Reading]
CA259
September 2, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
The Neolithic is being rewritten. New techniques of radiocarbon dating based on Bayesian statistics are allowing a greater precision than ever before and enable Neolithic dates to be tied down to within 50 years or less. This reveals that long Barrows and long cairns, the earliest form of Neolithic monument, were built from around 3800… [Continue Reading]
CA258
August 5, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
September is Scottish archaeology month. In celebration we open with two projects delivering spectacular results. The largest excavation ever undertaken in Aberdeen has uncovered four churches, and the remains of over 2,000 individuals. These reveal the impact of improved living standards, and a gradual Reformation. A suspected Viking harbour on Skye has been big news.… [Continue Reading]
CA257
July 1, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
Bedlam. It is a word that evokes the casual brutality of early healthcare. It was also a real institution, tending real patients. Now the hospital’s former cemetery is being excavated, and the bodies within have been excitedly labelled as former patients by the press. Yet the truth is far more complex, and reveals a world… [Continue Reading]
CA256
June 3, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
After being a CA reader for many years, it is very exciting to be here, and I hope that you enjoy my first issue. We start with the goods yard that once stood next to St Pancras station. In its heyday, this supplied the capital with Midlands victuals, but unlike St Pancras there was no… [Continue Reading]
CA255
May 6, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
The time has come, dear readers, for me to bid farewell to Current Archaeology. It has been a fantastic few years working on the magazine and getting to know so many of you! I leave CA in the very capable hands of the incoming Editor, Matthew Symonds, who some of you may recognise as the… [Continue Reading]
CA254
April 1, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
Even here at CA, we are not immune to the Royal Wedding fever sweeping the nation. Issue 254 opens with our nod to the most magnificent of royal occasions, covering every angle: the venue! Thefamilies! The dress! And most importantly – the dirt. Joking aside, what can archaeology tell us about royal weddings? We highlight… [Continue Reading]
CA253
March 24, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
This month, our features and news stories highlight just how important advancing technology is for archaeology. Revisiting old sites, old bones, and old theories with new tools, perspectives, and practice will invariably shed a whole new light on what we thought we knew. If there is a better argument for the importance of investing in… [Continue Reading]
CA252
February 1, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
This is a big month for Current Archaeology – with issue 252, we will be available in most W H Smiths and better newsagents across the country. It’s a big change, and one that we hope will bring CA to the attention of an even wider audience. Issue 252 opens with a celebration of another… [Continue Reading]
CA251
January 19, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
Our features this month range from new osteological research on some of Britain’s most famous skeletons, to an in-depth look at the mysterious network of small Roman fortifications stretching across southwest Scotland, an examination of mosaics at the end of Roman Britain, and, finally, the Hackney Double Eagles. This hoard of gold coins may turn… [Continue Reading]
CA250
January 19, 2011 By Filed Under: Issues
This month, CA celebrates our 250th issue. Rather than looking back at what has happened since issue 200, however, we found ourselves looking forward. What will we be writing about in issue 300? Where do the opportunities lie for archaeology? The cover image says it all: we, as archaeologists, are heading into the unknown. The… [Continue Reading]
CA 249
November 26, 2010 By Filed Under: Issues
When a country is invaded, how far does the native population adopt the culture of their conquerors? Do they make changes willingly or is assimilation seen as necessary for survival? These questions resonate through current world conflicts, as well as in CA 249′s opening article, which tackles the question of whether Britain was thoroughly, or… [Continue Reading]
CA 248
November 26, 2010 By Filed Under: Issues
In this time of austerity, we thought it might raise everyone’s spirits to take a look at Britain’s rich history; rich both in terms of interest, and fantastically beautiful objects. CA 248 tackles a hot topic: the practice of hoarding in Britain. Recent years have produced new caches of unusual objects, as well as the… [Continue Reading]
